Mexico Travel Tips

Mexico travel can be a fun way to spend your vacation, a spur of the moment weekend getaway or even corporate travel. Regardless of your reason for desiring to travel to Mexico, if you've never visited this fascinating country before now, it would be to your benefit to take the time to learn more about common costs and the money system in Mexico before you begin your travels.

The currency of Mexico, known as the peso, comes in paper money as well as coins. It is denoted with the $ sign, not to be confused with the United States dollar. Paper money denominations include 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 pesos. One Mexican peso is divided into 100 centavos, similar to the way the US dollar is divided into 100 cents. As such, the currency coins come in denominations of 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos. You will also five coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 peso.

Generally speaking, you should have no problems exchanging your money into the official currency of Mexico. Exchanging your money can be easily accomplished at one of the many casas de cambio located throughout Mexico. Of course, you can always exchange your money either at your hotel or at a bank but you will almost always get a better rate at a casa de cambio than you will at either of these two locations. In addition, you will likely find that the waiting line is typically shorter at a casa de cambio than at a bank. Also keep in mind that you might find it difficult to exchange your traveler's checks and as a general rule you can get a better rate when you exchange cash versus traveler's checks.

Tipping is a common standard in Mexico, especially in the areas frequented by tourists. Not only is it good manners to leave a tip after you have been served, but do try and remember that many employees of the tourist industry depend on tips from tourists as a major supplement to their incomes. The general rule of thumb is 15%; although in some places 10% is considered to be quite fair. This includes housekeeping staff as well as waiters. Also, don't forget to provide something for the porter that brings up your bags. $1.00 per bag is customary.

Credit cards are also widely accepted in Mexico and if you don't want to go through the hassle of exchanging your money or trying to figure out the difference between the dollar and the peso this can be a very convenient way to pay for your purchases when you travel Mexico. The one thing you should keep in mind is that some vendors accept certain credit cards while other vendors only accept different credit cards. There tends to be a high degree of irregularity regarding this matter, so the best policy is to carry different credit cards.

While some shopping in Mexico is generally much cheaper than in other countries, particularly the United States, this does not hold true for all items. If you plan on Mexico travel for the purpose of shopping, it's beneficial to have an idea of the average cost of items in Mexico. Take a look:

Small bottle of beer $2
One roll of film $7
Bottle of water .80

Average hotel prices can run as low as $10 per night all the way up to $200 and more. The meal prices in Mexico also tend to vary. For example; while not necessarily advisable you can purchase a taco from a street vendor for about a dollar. A meal in the low price range will run between $2 to $8 while a mid-range meal will cost you approximately $15. High end meals run between $20 and $50.

Finally, it's important to remember that while ATMs are generally plentiful in Mexico, including the well known Cirrus and Plus system. To make sure you stay safe when using an ATM when you travel Mexico, you should exercise some caution. Only make withdrawals during daylight hours and make it a point to never use an ATM that is not in a well lit, secure area.

About The Author:
Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com